278 FLOWER GARDEN. 
the winter, particularly in frosty weather. Towards the 
end of November a barrow-load of lime is added while hot, 
to aid in the decomposition of the soil, and destroy worms. 
For the varicties which are liable to sport, he recommends 
a poorer compost. : : 
The more robust carnations are planted out in beds or 
singly in the flower garden; but the finer and more tender 
sorts are grown in pots of about a foot in diameter. The 
time of potting is about the end of March. When the 
flower-stems show themselves, they are furnished with rods, 
to which they are tied as they lengthen, to prevent their 
being broken by the wind or other accident. When the 
plants begin to expand their blossoms, they are removed 
to a stage calculated to exhibit their beauties. Some 
florists place ligatures around the flower-buds, in order to 
prevent irregular bursting, and even arrange the petals, by 
removing distortions with fine-pointed scissors, — 
New varieties are raised from seed. The seed of the 
hardier double or semidouble. sorts often affords a very 
beautiful bed of flowers, and should not be neglected by 
those who have the command of extensive flower gardens. 
The Pink is. considered by botanists as merely a variety 
of the preceding. It is, however, very distinct in its cha- 
racter and constant in its habits. It is one of the me- 
chanic’s flowers, and is cultivated most extensively in the 
neighborhood of some of the manufacturing towns. Its 
simple elegance does credit to the taste of those who select it 
for their favorite ; and it deserves a place in the garden of 
the highest as well as the lowest in the land. Pinks are 
numerous, the growers at Paisley enumerating about three 
hundred varieties, Those are preferred which have the 
limb of the petals nearly entire, and are well marked in 
the centre with bright crimson or dark purple. 
